Algorithms help an artist tease portraits out of thread

US billboards to display interactive paintings to teach you art history

Sponsored Links

Several billboards in Times Square displayed something a lot different than the usual on August 4th -- instead of ads, they displayed some of the most recognizable American paintings. What happened in Times Square marks the launch of the Art Everywhere US project, which touts itself as the "largest outdoor art exhibition ever conceived." Its organizers plan to showcase 58 artworks (voted by people out of the original 100, with Edward Hopper's Nighthawks topping the list) across the country throughout the month of August.

If you slept during most of your art classes and can't really name many of the paintings to be displayed (the artwork above is called the American Gothic by Grant Wood, by the way), don't worry: these displays are actually interactive. So long as you have the Augmented Reality advertising app Blippar on your Android, iOS or Windows Phone device, you can just look at the painting through your phone to see its info, along with audio guides and other AR elements. To catch the "art exhibit" as it goes from coast to coast, check out Art Everywhere's official map or follow the project's Twitter or Facebook pages.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.